Protect Me
by LaughsAtThunder
Summary: Charlie Swan believes his daughter is a danger magent. In a world where vampires are the pets of humans, what is the solution? Adopting a 'pet'. Normal Pairings. Mainly BxE. -Discontinued-
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've wanted to write this for a very long time. Please give it a chance! I worked extremely hard on this story. I will try to update a least twice a month, if not more. The more reviews I get the more likely I will be to update. Kay thx? ;) ~ Moelike

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or hold copyright to any of it's characters.

Chapter One

"Bella, you haven't taken your nose out of that book since your Dad made the 'big' decision." Angela's voice startled Bella and her head shot up to lock eyes with her friend. "Seriously Bells, I'm sure you'll do fine why are you so worried?"

"I'm worried because if I've never been able to handle a pet gold fish, how in heck do you think I can manage a vampire?" She asked, her voice clearly strained with anxiety.

"It's not like you'll be doing this alone!" Angela soothed her friend, leaning across the lunch table to give her a hug. "I'll come over if you need me."

"I don't know Ang, it says here that during the first few days in their new environment, a vampire should only be exposed to it's owner and the other people living in the house. Only when they become more comfortable should you have visitors over.", Bella read from the text of her 'Adopting a Vampire' handbook.

Angela let out an annoyed huff and pushed a strand of her light brown hair behind her ear. "We had plenty of visitors to my house when we first adopted Alice and she turned out absolutely fine."

"Maybe you just lucked out!" Bella insisted. "I'm not taking any chances."

Bella had been utterly paranoid for the last two weeks. Her paranoia was all thanks to the fact that she couldn't step out of her home without being attacked, run over, or put in some kind of danger. In the last two months alone she had only narrowly escaped being hit my a car, being trapped in a burning restaurant, and being charged by guard dogs when she stepped, a bit too far, over the property line of their neighbors. Honestly, Bella was used to 'living on the edge', things like this seemed to happen to her all the time. Bella's father however, was not used to this.

When Bella's mother got remarried to a traveling baseball player. about three years ago, she had deiced to move in with her father Charlie in small town Forks, Washington. After a few of her 'danger episodes' as she liked to call them, Charlie was on the brink of insanity. The chief of the Forks police wasn't around very often and he constantly worried for his daughters safety. He was under high levels of stress and at his last appointment, his doctor worried it was effecting his health.

His solution? Get someone else to go places and stay at home with Bella when Charlie couldn't. In other words, get a pet. But not just any type of pet, a pet that could think for it's self, and protect Bella with it's own will. In most cases, a dog would have serviced but in Bella's case, she was getting a vampire.

Vampires weren't always pets though, as a matter of fact, it was only about ten years ago that a weapon was invented to hunt them. The weapons used intense amounts of fire, one of the only things could hurt a vampire, to fight them off or weaken them. It only took a few minutes under the blast of flames to completely burn a vampire to ashes. Vampires were almost hunted to extinction. But, of course, being the 'noble' and 'merciful' human beings that we are, a universal law was passed that prohibited the hunting of the creatures and put them on the 'endangered species list'. A year after that law was passed, a drug was discovered that acted as a sedative for vampires. Obliviously vampires can't sleep, so all the medicine really does is tone down their unnatural speed and strength to that of a normal human. This is what enables them to be adopted out as pets. So instead of killing them, we just sentenced them to an eternity of being our pets. Bella wasn't sure what punishment was worse.

She was secretly against keeping vampires as pets. They reminded her off humans _way _too much. It seemed cruel and unfair to do such a thing to someone who had feelings and thoughts of their own. However, Bella had never told anyone this because many of the people she knew had them in their own homes. And if getting a vampire made Charlie less likely to have a heart attack, then Bella would do it. She felt extremely selfish.

Today was the big day. After school she was supposed to go and pick one out at the closest 'vampire rescue' which was located in Seattle. Bella had already filled her old Chevy truck with gas for the journey.

"Bella? Earth to Bella?" Angela's voice cut into Bella's thoughts.

"Oh sorry Ang, I was thinking." She smiled apologetically at her friend.

" I asked, have you decided if your getting a guy or a girl?"

"Well it's supposed to be for protection and it says in the handbook that males are more protective so Charlie wants it be a male, believe it or not." Bella sighed shaking her head. "What do you think I should get?"

"It doesn't matter to me, whatever floats your boat. Alice will be excited to have someone to socialize with though, she's tried of being the only vampire in Forks." Angela smiled.

Bella raised an eyebrow, "You asked her that?" Vampires weren't supposed to talk to humans, that would make them 'bad pets'.

"No of course not, but I can tell she gets lonely sometimes."

The bell rang signaling the end of lunch at Forks High. Bella had only on period left, Gym. Bella hated gym and she had it last hour for the second year in a row. It was always great to end your day on a klutzy note. They were playing dodge ball today and like usual, Bella was picked last. The game mainly consisted of her tripping, falling, and cowering behind her team mates until she got hit. If she ever got a change to throw one of the orange balls she would quickly hand it over to someone else, Bella had a reputation for hitting people that were on _her_ team.

After gym Bella found herself rushing to escape from the school parking lot. It was only afterwards, when she was on the road headed for Seattle did her original anxiety sink back in. The ride was a few hours and she had to stop at multiple pit stops to refuel her worn truck. When she finally pulled up in front of adoption center she felt like hyperventilating.

_Relax Bella. _She told herself. _You can do this. On the other side of this door there's only gonna be a bunch of creatures that thirst for your blood and the last thing they want is to become your pet. No pressure, you can do this. _

Bella stepped out of her car and walked across the pavement towards the entrance of the building. The center was large and looked ominously welcoming from the outside. The middle of the building was shaped like a large triangle that pointed up towards the sky. Just below the point was a sign with big yellow letters which read 'Washington's Vampire Rescue Center and Shelter'. On either side of the triangle two smaller wings branched off and ran along the parking lot.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside. The entrance room reminded Bella of a doctor's waiting room. It was painted an off-white color and was furnished with cushioned plastic chairs. There was a desk on the back wall in between where the two wings branched out. A middle-aged woman sat behind the desk going through files and mumbling to herself. Bella shuffled up to the desk and asked politely. "Hi, um, I'm Bella Swan?"

The woman behind the desk looked at her questioningly.

"Oh right, I have an appointment with-" Bella pulled out a piece of scrap paper where she had written the name down "Mrs. Stephens?"

"Oh yes." The woman seemed to understand now. "We spoke on the phone. Here, follow me." The woman got up from her seat and motioned for Bella to follow her. She led Bella down on of the hallways which appeared to be offices and rooms with files and paperwork in them. She stopped outside a door labeled 'Director'.

"This is her office. You go right on in honey." The woman told her before she turned to walk back to the front desk.

Bella knocked anyway and waited until she heard "Come in!" before opening the door. The room she stepped into was painted lime green, a colorful contrast to the boring white color of the front room. A woman with messy red hair pulled into a pony tail looked up from where she was typing on the computer. Her glasses slid down her nose and a friendly smile spread across her face.

"Oh! Hello! You must be Isabella Swan! I'm Mrs. Stephens." she said in a surprisingly upbeat voice, which almost made Bella forget her surroundings. "Have a seat sweetie." The woman gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

"Thank you." Bella said politely. "And just Bella please."

"Okay than, Bella." She smiled at her again before rummaging through some folders. "Ah here we go." She pulled out a folder labeled 'Isabella Swan'.

"It says here that you are a senior at Forks High School." she read.

"Yes I am." Bella confirmed.

"Right, and as you know adopting a vampire is a very fun and rewarding experience. However we must discourage you from adopting one if you simply plan to abandon them again. After you graduate what do you plan to do with your vampire? Are you planning to go to college?"

"I'm planning to go to college but I guess I would have to rent an apartment nearby so I could keep them with me." Bella answered honestly. She hadn't thought about that before.

Mrs. Stephens nodded. "Good, good. So Bella do you have a reason for wanting a vampire as a pet?"

"My dad thinks he leaves me alone too much and it makes him worried."

"Ah, so your looking for a companion?" Mrs. Stephens asked.

"I guess you could say that."

"Are you interested in adopting a male or female?"

"Male." Bella answered.

"Okay, well all your paper work looks good, so please follow me hun." Mrs. Stephens rose from her seat and led Bella back down the hallway, through the entrance room and into the hallway on the other side. The décor, or lack of it, was completely different in this hallway. The smooth carpeting changed to hard concrete floors and the lighting was dimmer and more gray. Bella looked up to see a high, unfinished ceiling with pipes and vents lining it. The lamps hung low, just above their heads but didn't give off much light. The walls were lined with bared cages that Bella found herself frightened to look into.

"We keep the females in the front, and the males in the back." Mrs. Stephens explained as they walked. "Now as I'm sure you know, you should pick your pet carefully. Make sure that you pick one that you are sure that you can handle. You are going to need all the basic supplies, which I'm assuming you bought previously?"

"Um, yeah I went to Petco yesterday." Bella answered. She was feeling an achy nervousness in her stomach as they neared the back of the hall.

"Did you get all the essentials? I mean dietary and disciplinary wise?"

Bella nodded trying not to remind herself that she would have to feed the creature blood. Thankfully the blood was pre-sedated so she wouldn't have to worry about drugging the poor thing herself. She literally felt sick with herself for going through with this.

"Good. Here we are." Mrs. Stephens stopped walking and Bella forced herself to look around. Behind the strong metal bars she could see the faces of what appeared from a quick glance to be boys and men of different ages. However once another look was taken, it was clear that they were different. Their eyes were bright red from the blood they drank and their faces, inhumanly beautiful.

Most of the vampires seemed to have cellmates that were around their age. Mrs. Stephens began pointing at each of them and listing names but Bella wasn't listening. She walked along the cages peering in, most of the vampires didn't make eye contact with her, and the few that did looked away quickly. Then she came to a cage that a first appeared empty, after a moment she spotted a figure in the back, sitting in the corner alone. Confused, she leaned onto the bars and peered inside.

The vampire's eyes were trained on the wall in front of him, he didn't even appear to notice her presence. Bella heard Mrs. Stephens walk up behind her. In less then a second the his head snapped up to look over at her. Bella wasn't prepared for the force of his garnet red eyes, which were full of wonder and interest. She head she gaze for a moment before she forced herself to look away.

"Why is he alone?" Bella asked Mrs. Stephens.

"He did have a cellmate a few years ago, but he was adopted out. It was actually kind of sad because the two seemed very close. I'm pretty sure the other one is now a guard vampire for a factory of some kind."

"Why is he still alone though, if it's been years?" Bella struggled to understand.

"There hasn't been anymore rescues of vampires his age." Mrs. Stephens shrugged.

"He must be lonely, how old is he?" Bella thought out loud sadly, taking another look at him. The vampire was still watching her with curiosity on his face. Bella had thought that some of the other vampires here were handsome, but he put them to same. He looked like a reincarnation of Adonis. His hair was a tousled bronze mess on his head and his red eyes were squinted in the gray light as he observed the exchange.

"This one is...17." Mrs. Stephens said flipping through her files. "Ah that's right. He's 17, well he appears 17, and his name is Edward. Last name unknown. Origin unknown. He was captured in the Olympic forest area six years ago and brought here. He was with two others a girl, also 17, and a male around 20. All whom have been adopted out."

Bella frowned, he probably _was_ lonely. She couldn't imagine what life must be like for him, living in cell all alone, for years and years. She knew that he probably loathed the idea of being someone's pet, but anything had to be better than sitting in this dark concrete cell right?

"Is he available for adoption?" She asked Mrs. Stephens.

"Yes he is. Do you want to go inside and just spend a few minutes with him before you make a decision?" The director asked.

Bella tried not to show the fact that the idea of going into a locked cell with a bloodthirsty vampire terrified her. _If you adopt one you have to spend a lot of time alone with them anyway! Come on Bells! You hang out with Ang and Alice all the time. You can do this. You can do this. _

She simply nodded her head because she new if she spoke her voice would crack in fear.

"Okay!" Mrs. Stephens answered, clearly nor sensing the mood. She unlocked the cell and Bella slipped inside. The door clanked shut behind her. "I'll give you a moment, I'll just be setting up some paperwork for you in the front. Just holler if you need anything." And with that she was gone.

Bella shivered and looked over at the vampire, who hadn't moved from his spot in the corner. His eyes watched her closely as she walked, ever so carefully toward him. To her surprise he backed away a bit when she got nearer, his eyes wide as if afraid. Bella than noticed the burn marks on his arm and everything clicked in for her. _He is just as afraid of me as I am of him! _With this newfound reassurance she made her way across the cell and sat down a few feet away from him.

"Um, hi, I'm Bella." She introduced herself.

He pressed himself a closer to the wall and eyed her pocket.

"I don't have any of those weapons that they use to hurt you!" Bella reassured him she pulled her empty pockets inside-out to show him.

He quickly relaxed and inched a bit closer to her now, his curiosity returning. Bella had no idea what he was finding so interesting so she decided to continue. "So um, your Edward?"

She waited a moment thinking he wouldn't respond at all. Then after a minute of hesitation, he nodded. It made Bella feel even sicker inside that the poor vampire thought she might hurt him for _nodding_. So, she was sure to smile encouragingly.

"It's nice to meet you Edward. My dad wants me to adopt a vampire as a pet because he thinks he leaves me alone too much and bad stuff tends to happen to me. It makes him very stressed. Also I tend to get lonely, because I don't really have many friends were I live. And well- I saw you and I thought that you looked lonely too and that maybe you would want me to you know- adopt you?" Bella rambled and stumbled over her words. She watched Edward's reaction carefully. He seemed to be deliberating.

"I promise I won't be mean!" Bella found herself begging. "It might even be fun. I just really don't want my Dad to have a heart attack worrying about me, getting crushed my a piano hanging from the sky or something. But, if you don't want to. I won't make you."

Edward seemed confused now. His eyes studied her as if he was trying to figure her out. After a few long seconds of silence Bella asked softly. "Can you please just nod yes or no?"

And to Bella's intense surprise, he nodded his head. 'Yes.'

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A/N: That's it, that's the first chapter! I hope you liked it! Please review if you want more! ;)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow guys! That was the biggest response I've ever gotten to a single chapter! I'm really glad you liked my 'pilot' chapter so much and I wanted to let you guys know that this is definitely going to be my main writing project. Now now, 'This Phenomenon' and 'Final Twilight' fans have no need to fear because I'll be updating those stories as well. Just not as frequently as this one. I know that a lot of you also want me to continue writing 'Gifts' but I can't move on until I get more votes on my poll. So go do that right now If you want more of that story! That's really all I have to say for now! ~ Moelike

Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Twilight. Real shocker.

Chapter Two [EPOV]

_So this is how I'm going to spend the rest of eternity. In a freaking cage. I can't even to begin to describe the utter repulsion I have to my situation. Humans are completely ridiculous and their lack of 'humanity' disgusts me. In fact, the only truly compassionate people I've ever met in my entire 109 years of existence happened to be vampires. Well I can't be certain, seeing as my life as a human is a bit clouded; but If there was anyone in my life more kind and selfless than Carlisle and Esme, then I believe I would have remembered them._

_Throughout my long 'life' I've learned that humans are vile self-centered creatures that only care about money and power. It doesn't help that I'm forced to listen to their innermost thoughts of greed and lust. Being a mind reader isn't all it's cracked up to be. Being immortal isn't either. As much as I despise humans, I would trade places with one in a heartbeat, well I would if I had a heartbeat. _

_It all started years ago when I was on a hunting trip with Emmett and Alice, my adopted siblings. Most vampires preferred to drink human blood, but our coven was committed to preserving human life. We only drank the blood of animals. It is ironic how our coven of all vampires would end up being punished for our 'good lifestyle choices'. We where attacked by Vampire Hunters, an athlete group of the military that were trained to hunt us down and capture us. Their flaming weapons were extremely painful and we were forced to surrender to them. I don't like to think about being defeated by humans, so I'll move on. _

_Life for me has become especially grim since Emmett and Alice were 'adopted'. I was alone now, damned to an entirety in a tiny cell with metal bars and no windows. The only way I can tell the difference between day and night is when the workers leave after their shifts and shut the lights. I don't even know what year or season it is right now, I've lost track. I get a pretty good idea of what day it is depending on who is at work. I know it's a Sunday when no one shows up. I've also worked out that we are fed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We have to drink human blood, which isn't a big deal because it is donated and I can't complain because it tastes good. Actually, I can't complain about anything at all unless I want another burn. I don't even remember the last time I spoke._

_Talking to myself in my head and monitoring the thoughts of others is all that keeps me from going insane. Maybe I have gone insane, I wouldn't know. All I know is that I would do anything to get out of here. Anything. _

Edward stared at the wall and growled to himself angrily. He played with the loose buttons on his shirt's sleeve for awhile before growing bored and moving on deciphering the cracks in the concrete wall. He didn't know how long he'd been staring before a thought interrupted him.

_What is she doing over by that cage? _An image of Edward's cell flashed through his mind.

Confused, Edward's head shot up and he locked eyes with an unfamiliar gaze. A girl about his biological age, was standing outside his cell. She was leaned over so that her body was pressed to the bars as she peered in.

_That's strange, why didn't I hear her coming? _

He listened closely waiting for the human girl to think something that would explain her presence. But there was only silence. Edward blinked in wonder as he stared into the strangers eyes, uncomprehending.

"Why is he alone?" The girl asked a red-haired woman who stood behind her. Edward recognized her to be Mrs. Stephens, one of the head staff members.

"He did have a cellmate a few years ago, but he was adopted out. It was actually kind of sad because the two seemed very close. I'm pretty sure the other one is now a guard vampire for a factory of some kind." She answered.

Emmett had been the first of the Cullen coven to be adopted out. Some men in black suits, from an important company in California had come up looking for a vampire to guard their factory. Apparently, Emmett's intimidating physical appearance was enough to convince them that he would be perfect for the job.

"Why is he still alone though, if it's been years?" The girl sounded confused. I listened harder trying to find her thoughts, wondering why she cared.

"There hasn't been anymore rescues of vampires his age." Mrs. Stephens shrugged. _Why is this girl asking so many questions? I can't put up with this much longer. I have paperwork to do missy. Pick a leech and get out of here._

Edward held back a growl at her negative thoughts towards the girl. His mind froze for a moment and he shook his head. He didn't care about what these petty humans thought of each other. Right?

"He must be lonely, how old is he?" The girl murmured sounding sad.

_I don't need your sympathy. _Edward thought, although his words couldn't didn't seem to have enough venom. Why was it so hard to hate this stupid human?

"This one is...17." Mrs. Stephens said flipping through her files. "Ah that's right. He's 17, well he appears 17, and his name is Edward. Last name unknown. Origin unknown. He was captured in the Olympic forest area six years ago and brought here. He was with two others a girl, also 17, and a male around 20. All whom have been adopted out."

The girl frowned, "Is he available for adoption?"

Mrs. Stephens tried to hide her surprise. "Yes he is. Do you want to go inside and just spend a few minutes with him before you make a decision?" _Seriously? She wants this one? No one has ever even given him a second glance. Humph. Guess I can't complain, at least I can get back to my work now._

The girl nodded and Edward felt a twist of panic in his stomach. She would be coming _inside_ the cell.

"Okay! I'll give you a moment, I'll just be setting up some paperwork for you in the front. Just holler if you need anything." The girl had entered the cell and the door shut behind her. Mrs. Stephens had taken off down the hall her thoughts filled with worries about her overload of paper work.

The girl turned to look at him, she was only about ten feet away now. Edward let himself fully succumb to his panic and he pressed himself as close to the back wall as possible.

"Um, hi, I'm Bella." She introduced herself.

His eyes trained on her pocket, waiting for her to whip a flaming gun out of it. At first she seemed confused, as she came to sit by him, then realization lit her face.

"I don't have any of those weapons that they use to hurt you!" She exclaimed and she pulled her pockets inside out to prove it.

Edward then allowed himself to relax. _She won't hurt you. She won't hurt you. _He repeated over and over in his head to clam himself down. He let his original curiosity return now, as he observed her closely for the first time.

Bella had long mahogany brown hair with a soft curl at the bottom. She had surprisingly deep warm, brown eyes and a heart shaped face. She was slender with pale skin…and her scent, was intoxicating. For the first time in his years of captivity Edward was thankful for the sedative that reduced his natural vampire abilities, or he would have attempted to killed her right there. He forced himself to push the thought of her scent aside by holding his breath.

Even within a foot or two in range and he still couldn't pick up a thought coming from her. Edward clamped his teeth together in awe and frustration.

"So um, your Edward?" She asked in her soft voice.

He froze again, contemplating if he should answer. Bella seemed to be waiting so he reluctantly nodded and then flinched waiting for punishment.

To his surprise she just smiled encouragingly and said, "It's nice to meet you Edward. My dad wants me to adopt a vampire as a pet because he thinks he leaves me alone too much and bad stuff tends to happen to me. It makes him very stressed. Also I tend to get lonely, because I don't really have many friends were I live. And well- I saw you and I thought that you looked lonely too and that maybe you would want me to you know- adopt you?" She stumbled over her words and glanced anxiously over at him.

Edward completely detested the idea of being someone's pet, especially the pet of a greedy spoiled human. But, Bella didn't seem too bad, and she even asked his permission. In all the years he'd spent there, not once had he heard a human ask the vampire if they _wanted _to be adopted. And if he said yes it would mean getting out of this cage, and being able to see sunlight again. He wished he could hear Bella's thoughts, wondering what on earth was going through her mind.

"I promise I won't be mean!" She cried, sounding desperate "It might even be fun. I just really don't want my Dad to have a heart attack worrying about me, getting crushed my a piano hanging from the sky or something. But, if you don't want to. I won't make you."

Nothing about this girl made sense. Most people got vampires as pets because having such a beast as their pet was a symbol of power or wealth. Maintaining a vampire was no cheap deal either, he'd heard the workers complaining about the high prices of human blood. _And_ people who adopted vampires didn't care if the they liked it or not, you were going home with them either way. Bella however, wanted a vampire because she was lonely and her farther worried for her safety, and she even seemed to care about Edward's feelings. It was like the world had just flipped upside down.

"Can you please just nod yes or no?" She asked softly.

Edward was pretty sure he surprised them both when he nodded 'yes'.

"Really? You will?" She sounded relieved. "Thank you so much!" She bounced to her feet excitedly but she stumbled forward and had to steady herself my grabbing a cell bar. Edward eyes flicked in amusement as he watched her. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. After all, he'd never met a human like Bella before.

Bella seemed to notice that he was watching her intently and she flushed with embarrassment. It was a lovely color on her skin. _Not that I care or anything. It's just an observation. _

"Mrs. Stephens?" She called down the hall.

The staff member arrived a few moments later, fake smile and all. "Hello did you make your decision?"

Bella eyed Edward quickly, his last chance to decline her offer. When he didn't respond she turned back to Mrs. Stephens. "Yes, I'm going to adopt him."

"Oh that's great news!" She exclaimed. "Follow me and I'll get your paperwork for you!" _It's about time someone adopted him._

She held the cage door open for Bella and she slid through into the hallway. It remained open and she looked at me expectantly. _Come on leech, I have stuff to do! Paper work! Let's go. _She thought impatiently. I still stared at the open door not able to fully grasp it.

"Come on Edward," Bella called me softly, "Let's go home."

And for some reason that was all it took to get me walking out the door.

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A/N: Yeah, so I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer but this seems like a really good spot to end it! I hope you guys like it! The more reviews I get the faster I'll update! Peace out guys! ~ Moelike


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: *DUCKS AS ROCKS ARE THROWN AT HER* I'M SORRY OKAY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! LOOK I'M UPDATING I SWEAR! XD Thank you all for being so great and supportive of this story! I promise to never leave a space that long in between updates ever again! I love you all! 8) ~ Moe

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters created by Stephanie Meyer.

Chapter 3 [Bella's POV]

Bella watched Edward out of the corner of her eye as she filled out the extensive paperwork. His eyes were trained on the door, his body tense as if he would need to bolt on a moments notice. She frowned and her eyes wandered to the scars on his arm, the burn marks were a purplish color and almost appeared to be bruises from a quick glance. They didn't seem to be bothering the vampire now, but she could only imagine the pain he must have gone through. She tore her eyes away from him for a moment to look back at her form.

_Have you ever been arrested?_

No.

_Have you ever been reported for suspicious activity?_

No.

_Have you ever been accused of theft? _

Well when I was in second grade there was this pencil… No.

_Have you ever owned a vampire before?_

No.

_Have you been exposed to vampires before._

Yes.

_Do you plan on keeping the vampire's previous name? _

Bella looked up at Edward, who was still looking away and asked, "You like your name right?"

Edward turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"It-it asks on the sheet if I want to rename you or not, so I was just wondering if you liked you name?" Bella rambled, why couldn't she speak coherently to this creature?

His eyes darted around the room, as if he was making sure no one was watching, before nodding quickly.

"Okay, good. Then I don't have to worry about that." Bella sighed in relief and jotted down 'Yes.'

She continued to answer the questions, attempting to make her chicken scratch hand writing as neat as possible.

_Do you have any life threatening diseases? _

No.

_Are you currently employed? _

I'm a senior in High School, but I don't have a job. I'd being willing to look for one if it became necessary.

Bella pushed a piece of hair out of her eyes and for the first time noticed how close Edward was sitting to her. He was leaning over a her shoulder, reading the form. She jumped with a start, caught be surprise. Edward's reaction however, was much more dramatic. He leaped backward, stumbling over the chairs in the waiting room. The woman behind the desk looked up to see what was causing the commotion. If Edward had looked scared before he now looked terrified.

"Sorry!" Bella squeaked quickly to the secretary. "That was my fault! He's just a bit jumpy is all." She tried to explain nervously, feeling just as frightened as Edward. Bella may be above hurting vampires to discipline them, but that didn't mean this woman wasn't.

"Oh It's fine honey, I was just making sure you were okay." The woman stated calmly, her eyes still fixated on Edward who was frozen in his timid stance across the room from her.

"Relax Edward." Bella tried to sound soothing. "I'm sorry I startled you, come sit by be. It's okay." She patted the chair next to her.

Hesitantly, Edward straightened up from his defensive flinch and hurried over to sit by her. He looked down at the floor now, as if embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry about that." Bella whispered so the woman behind the desk couldn't hear. "You can read the form if you want, I honestly don't mind."

Edward's eyes glanced over at her quickly before looking back at the ground. He showed no sign of a response and he sat completely still.

Bella waited a few moments before sighing and going back to completing her paperwork. When she was finished she walked up to the desk and handed the slips to the secretary. She smiled with false happiness and asked in a overly enthused tone. "Would you like to buy a collar from us? Or did you already get one?"

_Darn, I totally forgot about the collar. _Bella thought. _He's not going to like this. Poor Edward, how humiliating. _

"Ummm, does he _have_ to wear a collar?" She asked hopefully.

"It is required by federal law that vampires wear their collars at _all_ times." The woman emphasized.

_Great, just great. _"What kind of collars do you have?" Bella asked.

The woman bent down and pulled a box up from under the desk. She set it down the in front of Bella and waited with an expectant expression. Bella leaned over and stuck her hand in the box shifting through the various colors and fabrics. They all appeared to be like dog collars, which she found completely disgusting.

"Um, you wouldn't happen to have something that didn't look like a collar so much?" She asked hopefully. "A chain maybe?"

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she seemed to remember something. "I've got just the thing! I'll be right back." She turned and went into a back room.

Bella waited with patience, every now and then turning to check on Edward who still sat in the waiting room chair, eyes fixed on the floor, unmoving. The woman came back after a few moments with a new box. Bella eyed it curiously as the secretary pulled something from it.

"Army Dog Tags." She explained, handing Bella a blank one. "They're just in."

_Hmm, I suppose that will be the best we do. _"Okay. I'll buy one." Bella decided.

"Alright, what should they say?"

"Just his name and my contact information will be fine."

"Okay, let me go print them." The woman left again.

This time when Bella turned to check on Edward, his eyes locked with hers. She frowned immediately. His eyes were so sad. She took and deep breath and motioned for him to come over. Of course, he was cautious as he approached her, but much less hesitant than before. _Is that a sign of progress then? _

Edward came to her side silently, his eyes observed her closely as they waited. The woman finally reappeared after what seemed like years of awkward silence. "Here you are," She handed Bella the dog tags. "You are free to go now but call if you need and help or advice."

"I will," _not_ "Thank you." Bella smiled, glad to be leaving the building. She held the dog tags up to Edward. "You need to put these on."

His blank face became a frown but he tilted his head down anyway, and she carefully put the chain around his neck.

"Alright, lets get out of here." She muttered to herself. She lead the way to the door, aware that Edward was following her close behind.

When they got out side she quickly looked at Edward from the corner of her eye. The book said that vampires who live in rescue centers have not been exposed to the outside world in a long time and they might react strangely.

Edward glanced around at his surroundings for a moment before a smile, a true genuine smile, appeared on his lips. It had been the first time she had seen him happy before and it nearly took her breath away. The sun glittered on Edward's skin reflectively and he looked much more alive than he had when she first came upon him, trapped in a tiny cell. Bella was glad it was one of the rare days where they were having good weather in Washington.

"Nice day isn't it?" She commented lightly.

Edward nodded. He seemed to be becoming more comfortable answering her direct questions. She wondered if there would ever come a time when he would speak to her freely. She hoped so, he looked like someone who would have a lot to say.

"Okay, we have to get going now though. My car is this way." She motioned to where her red pickup sat.

Edward eyed it skeptically for a few moments and Bella laughed. "Yeah that's the reaction most people give it, but I really like it."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Hey, it's really durable!" She defended.

He snorted and rolled his eyes. Clearly translating to _'Well that explains it.'_

Bella was thrilled that he was sharing more of his thoughts and emotions with her. Of course he wasn't talking yet, it might take awhile to get to that stage, but it was a start. She wondered if Edward's newfound confidence had anything to do with the fact that they were no longer in the Vampire Rescue Building.

"Just get in!" She giggled.

He went around the side of the car and climbed into the passengers seat. When Bella turned the key in ignition, the car slowly roared to life. Edward make another snorting noise and Bella looked over at him, feigning offence. His dark maroon eyes flicked with amusement.

They drove the first hour back to Forks in silence, when Bella suddenly realized that she'd hadn't told Edward where they were going. She snuck a peek at him out of the corner of her eye. He was looking out the window, completely content. She shook her head in wonder. The poor thing had been locked up in the dark for years and now he had finally been released. It was no surprise that he was happy to look out the window at the passing signs, trees, houses, and other buildings. They were all things he hadn't seen in a _long _time.

She decided though, that she should interrupt his observation for a moment to inform him a little bit about what was about to happen. "So Edward," She began. He turned his head to look at her. He gave her his full attention immediately which startled her for a moment, then again, she remembered that he hadn't experienced companionship or any form of social behavior since his cellmate had left. Maybe he wanted her to talk to him? "I was thinking that you probably want to know a bit more about…well everything?"

He nodded slowly, his eyes curious.

"Well. I live in Forks, Washington. Which if you don't know, is a really small, rainy town outside of Port Angles. I live there with my father Charlie, my parents got divorced a long time ago. He is the chief of police, so he's not around much but he should be home when we get there."

Edward suddenly looked concerned.

"Are you nervous about meeting Charlie?" She wondered aloud.

He nodded.

She smiled softly at him, "Well don't be. Charlie is harmless and I swear he won't hurt you. Just because he is law enforcement don't mean that he is strict or violent. I promise you don't have to worry."

Edward seemed to relax a little.

"Anyway, It's May now, which is why it's so warm out. I'm not sure if they tell you what month it is…where you came from…anyway, so school will be ending soon so I will be home a lot before you know it."

He seemed to brighten at that.

"Oh and you will get to meet my friend Angela and her vampire Alice."

Something in Edward's face changed when she mentioned Alice.

"Yeah," she continued. "Alice is a sweet thing, really. She's very hyper though- why are you looking at me like that?"

Edward looked away quickly, obviously afraid that he offended her in someway.

"Aw, hey it's fine. I was just wondering why you seem so curious about Alice. Do you think you might have…known her before? Were you friends?"

He looked back over at her, and carefully nodded.

"Oh wow! Small world huh?" She mused. "Well, I'm sure she will be happy to she you then. Angela thinks that Alice gets lonely sometimes because their aren't other vampires around Forks."

His eyes seemed to darken for a moment.

She understood why immediately. "Yeah, I know. They don't think it's acceptable for vampires to communicate with humans. I don't agree, but there is nothing I can do about it." She frowned. "But, I promise you Edward I would never get mad at you if you wanted to talk to me or answer me. I would never hurt you."

He blinked and they corner of his mouth twitched up into an almost smile.

"So umm. What else do you want to know about?" She asked.

He seemed to deliberate for a moment before pointing at her.

"You want to know more about me?" She asked in confusion.

He nodded eagerly.

Bella let out a huff of air and tried to think of something to say about herself. "Alright then, my full name is Isabella Marie Swan. I hate to be called by my full name, I prefer Bella. I love to read. My favorites are the classics, particularly Withering Heights. I moved in with my father when my mother married a traveling baseball player because I didn't want to tie her down. I don't really have many friends, except Angela and her boyfriend Ben. I'm shy and I like to keep to myself most of the time. I really hate being the center of attention. I don't like to dress up either. That's really all there is I suppose." She turned to look at him.

To her surprise he looked fascinated.

"Really, I'm not that interesting." She sighed. "Are you going to tell me anything about yourself?"

He looked away without answering. She sighed with disappointment. "Maybe another time then…"

With that she pulled into her drive way. It was getting dark outside, but the light above the front door was on. Charlie's police cruiser was parked on the side of the road.

She took a deep breath. "Are you ready?" She asked Edward.

He looked conflicted, but he nodded anyway.


End file.
